Wildwood commissioners have voted to allow the Villages of Southern Oaks development to grow much larger with higher housing density.
They approved three ordinances that expand the city’s joint planning area, rezone a portion of the massive Southern Oaks project south of State Road 44 and allow more flexibility in that development.
All three ordinances are subject to state review and the commission will take final action when that review is completed.
The Villages announced early this year that it would build 11,000 homes on 4,518 acres, mostly south of the Florida Turnpike, east of U.S. 301 and on both sides of County Road 468.
One ordinance allows construction of 26,590 homes, up 31 percent from the previous maximum, on 8,059 acres, up more than 78 percent from the prior land area.
Urban agriculture, community farming and development of recreational vehicles were added to permitted uses.
Non-residential uses, including commercial, were cut 45 percent to 925,000 square feet while government and office uses were increased by 166 percent to 765,000 square feet.
The changes also would allow construction of apartments and town homes as part of the Southern Oaks project by increasing maximum density.
The ordinance also relaxes the definition of age-restricted zoning, striking a requirement that residents must be age 55 or older. It does require that the project meet state and federal standards for age-restricted communities.
Another ordinance changes the designation of 1,459 acres in Southern Oaks to age-restricted from several agricultural and residential categories. The property is north of the turnpike. The third ordinance adds 97 parcels and 9,549 acres to the Wildwood Joint Planning Area, land outside the city limits that the city controls. The property is mostly south of the turnpike along County Road 470, although some parcels are north along U.S. 301.
If all of the planning area land were annexed and developed, it would add 6,509 residents to Wildwood.
